Horse-collar fastener



(No Model.)

J. HIMM- THIN. HORSE OOLLA ASTBNER.

No. 478,603. Patented July 12, 1892..

-UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HIMMELSTEIN, OF MILWAUKEE, VISCONSIN.

HORSE-COLLAR FASTENER'.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 478,603, dated July 12, 1892.

Application filed September 21, 1891. Serial No. 406,364. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN HIMMELSTEIN, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Horse-Collar Fasteners, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,whieh are a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in collar-fasteners of that class which, being secured to the collar, are adapted by and with the hame-strap as a key to look together the lower ends of the two sections of a collar severed or open at the lower end.

The novel features of my improved device consist in the peculiar construct-ion and arrangement of its parts, whereby it is made an exceedingly convenient and reliable as well as a strong and durable fastener.

Figure 1 is a fragment of a horse-collar, the front roll of which is omitted, with my improved device secured thereto, showing the manner in which the two ends of the collar are secured together by the device with the aid of the hame-strap, of which fragments only are shown. Fig. 2 is an outside View of my improved fasten er. Figs. 3 and4; are views of the inner or interlocking ends of the two parts of my fastener.

This improved fastener is constructed of metal, and consists of the two partsA and B, the body portions of which are of suitable size and form to fit nicely and closely into the crease in the collar between the outer roll (not shown) and the inner roll 0. The two parts of the fastener A and B are secured permanently to the collar by means of rivets D or their equivalent. The inner or adjoining ends of the two parts of the fastener are constructed to interlock with each other when the ends of the sections of the collar are brought together, and, with the hame-strap as a key, to secure the sections of the collar to each other. The central portion of the end of the part A projects in the general line of the axis of the body part and curves outwardly in a laterally-flattened neck E, which neck terminates in a cross-head F, projecting laterally beyond the neck at both sides, the greater plane of which cross-head is substantially at right an= gles to the plane of the body part A. The lateral edges of the part B at its inner end project therefrom in the direction of the axis .of the body part and turn outwardly substantially at right angles thereto, forming bent arms or hooks G G. These arms or hooks G are flattened and have considerable width laterally and are so far apart as to form a recess or space H between them equal in width to the width of the neck E of the other part of the fastener, the recess being thereby adapted to receive the neck therein. When the two sections of the collar are brought together, the two parts of the fastener are made to interlock by slipping the neck E into the recess H and passing the cross-head F down behind the outwardly-projecting parts of the hooks G, with which the cross-head engages, seating itself against the curved or shank parts I of the hooks. Two recessesKKopposite each other in the inner edges, respectively, of the outwardly-projecting parts of the hooks G are just outside of the cross-head F when the two parts of the fastener are interlocked, and these recesses K are adapted to receive the inner part L of the hams-strap, the other part of which L passes over the outer ends of the hooks G, as shown in Fig.1. The hame-strap L in the recesses K serves as a toggle or key to lock the part A in engagement with the part B. The cross-head F is substantially as as long as the width of the part B, and is thus adapted to bear against and engage both of the hooks G when the neck E is in the recess H. As the arms G G project somewhat in the direction of the body of the part B and curve outwardly and as the neck E also projects somewhat in the direction of the body of the part A, there is when the parts A and B are locked together a little distance between the bodies of these parts and there is permitted to the two parts a little hinge movement by the rocking of the cross-head F inits seat,

whereby the fasteners are adapted to permit of or accommodate the flexibility of the collar, the want of which feature in devices heretofore used for fastening collars made them liable to break off on severe strain by reason of their want of flexibility. The loop M is hinged. to the part A and is adapted to too curved and elongated neck and a cross-head at the extremity thereof and the other part of the fastener including forwardly-projecting and outwardly-turned hooks, the hooks having a space or longitudinal slot between them to receive the neck of the other part of the fastener, which slot extends rearwardly back of their outward curve into the body of the fastener to permit of a hinge movement of the neck of the other part therein, the hooks having also transverse or laterally-extending opposite slots or recesses intheir inner edges outside of the cross-head of the other part when seated in the curve of the hooks to rez ceive a hame-strap therein to secure the parts movably together.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JOHN HIMMELSTEIN. YVitnesses':

C. T. BENEDICT, ANNA V. FAUST. 

